Capacitive keyswitch

Abstract

A capacitive keyswitch comprising a first circuit support, an electrically insulating spacer, a dielectric structure, a second circuit support and an actuating assembly for actuating the keyswitch; the first circuit support is flexible and carries thereupon a first conductive circuit, the first conductive circuit includes a first conductive land; the second circuit support carries thereupon a second conductive circuit, the second conductive circuit including a second conductive land; the spacer has an aperture therethrough; the first conductive land, the second conductive land, and the aperture are substantially in register with the first conductive land and the second conductive land being in facing relation with respect to each other; the dielectric structure is interposed between the first and second conductive lands; the actuating assembly comprises a plunger and a pad; the pad is interposed between the plunger and the first circuit support whereby application of a force urging the plunger toward the first circuit support urges the pad against the first circuit support and, through the pad, urges the first circuit support toward the second circuit support, whereby capacitance between the first conductive land and the second conductive land is varied as the force is varied.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.